G13 · There is: あります and います

Before you start

The sentences only use words you already know from hiragana, katakana and the beginner level.

This lesson assumes what you saw in the earlier ones. If something feels shaky, go back to it:

• G01build sentences with は and です
• G02ask and answer
• G03say what something is not
• G04say whose something is
• G05point at things and ask what they are
• G06say «also»
• G07say what you do
• G08say no and talk about the past
• G09say where you go
• G10say where you do something
• G11describe things and say they aren't
• G12describe with な-adjectives and before a noun

What you learn

〜に 〜が あります／います

• がwhat there is
• ありますthere is (things, plants)
• いますthere is (people, animals)

あります is for things and plants; います, for people and animals. What there is takes が, and the place where it is takes に: へやに ねこが います.

• ねこが います。neko ga imasu.There's a cat.
• ほんが あります。hon ga arimasu.There's a book.
• こうえんに いぬが います。kouen ni inu ga imasu.There's a dog in the park.
• へやに つくえが あります。heya ni tsukue ga arimasu.There's a desk in the room.
• いすの したに かばんが あります。isu no shita ni kaban ga arimasu.There's a bag under the chair.
• だいどころに だれが いますか。daidokoro ni dare ga imasu ka.Who is in the kitchen?

Practice

A short text written only with the kana and grammar you already know. Read it and answer.